New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-05
CHAT ON TOPICS OF THE HOUR.
SHORT TALKS WITH NEW-YORKERS AND
VISITORS TO TILE CITY.

West Virginia has much dAputaton over land
titles There Ia in the Hrst place controversy over
titles given by old Virginia and those given oy the
new State II is in the slow process OF adjudication
in the courts but has not yet been passed upon in the
court Of hnal resort Then there detects incident
to all new communities and to frontier titles -ior
much OF West Virginia is still in frontier condition
In talking the other dav with ex-senator j. W.
Camden who knows every foot OF ground in the State
mention was made OF recent effort here to dispose
OF 250,0CO acres OF land In Webster county. Said
tho Senator ." am an owner of 100000 acres OF
land in that county myself. There only about
100000 acres all TOLD in the county, yet 1erc ate
than three times that number OF acres borne on
the tax books. You imag CINE that in such con-
dition of things good titles the exceptions Old
Virginia sold lands in this section eighty to ninety
years ago land scrip for two and three cents an
acre. There are lots of paper tios oil over West
VirgmiA. and only sharp and we'll posted lawyers
cal be trusted to cipher out The valid ones"
Persons who inspect the Obesk in Central park
for the first time frequently express astonishment that
large block of could have been successfully
quarried, carved and handled by the ancients,
especially as such work 10 done with difficulty, even
with the improved machinery OF the present age
In talking the other day with ono OF the leading
granite men OF the country, who has made personal
inspection of the pyramids OF Egypt he said There
are blocks OF stone in the pyramids which weigh three
or four times much as the Obelisk. saw stone
whose estimated weight was $50 tons. The builders
|
had great masses of subjects upon whom to draw ana
most OF their work was done oy sheer manual labor
and force. Thero stones in the pyramids Thirty
feet in length which M closely together that gu may
a penknife the surface without discovering
the break between them They are not laid with
mortar either There is no machinery perfect that
it will make two surfaces thirty feeJ length which
will meet together in unison these stones in the
pyramids meet. They were undoubtedly rubbed
back and forth upon each other until the surfaces
were assimated to each other"
The parades Decoration day and May 81,
brought in strong contrast the relative proportions OF
those two great conservators of the public peace the
militia and the police In numbers the bluecoats are
far surpassed. Inspector Byrnes talking about the
relations OF the two forces remarked The police owe
much OF their strength and effectiveness in OF
mobs and riots to the fact that they have this
great bpdy of militia behind them. Where the
police have advantage the militia
is in the fact that they move RAPIDLY
about the city from point to point. The telegraph
and signal system have been 40 completed that the
police be quickly masscd for duty ut any given
point As matter OF tact, too think the ordinary
man in mob or crowd has moro fear OF policemans
club than he has of gun. They are generally men
who have had no experience at all with firearms or
their effectiveness, but most OF whom have seen the
policeman club welded vigorously at some time or
other The militia turn out promptly think the
9TH Regiment could turn out 700 or 500 men on SIX
hours notice.
columns that passed by Madison Square both on
Monday and Tuesday. The famous 7th Regiment
passed the reviewing stand In worse form than 1t has
displayed at any time since tho war. Old soldiers
the stand quickly discovered the cause OF their bad
work In the uneyenness and detective pavement in
Filth. ave at this place. Members OF the It'll said
after the parade that the hardest part OF their march
Wac at this point One of the men In the ranks had
the cole OF his shoe ripped OF tho NewYork Clab
by attempting into hole. Tho opinion was expressed
arriu hat he al lave
where the reviews always take place ought to DO
laid with some smooth. even-surfaced pavement which
would give the best possible conditions TO the troops
in passing and produce the best possible effects In
their marching.
The popular applause that everywhere greeted
Police Captain Williams on the line OF march of the
police parade on Tuesday was one OF tho features OF
the day. A. the division In which the Captain
marched swept by tho grand stand at Madison
SQUARE, the cheers were loud and long Police
Commissioner McClave. who Il one of toe Captan's
sanch friends in the board turning 10 his associates
said: 1t is evident that Captain Williams has the
call here" General Fitz John Porter who IA one OF
the Commissioners who Is not anxious to zee Captain
Williams become Inspector, replied grimly " Yes.
II Is bad can't hear the music" The oddly
OF the complaint caused everybody In hearing on tho
S stand M " ssh RTT.s The The DAY
up at the tail police officer and said why, Captar
Williams, you arc much larser man than thought
TO You nre much bigger man than am. u
wont take auy advantage OF you on that sc)rc, was
the Captains reply.
little nubbin of n man. with considerable grth.
heavy round face fringed With gray whiskers and
huge light brown sombrero, who has been seen up
town several days. is Colonel j. w Dryer oHe OF
the ranehmen OF New-MeXioO. The Colonel Is the
mariner of ex-Sccretary Columbus Deano of Ohio.
lie IL an old ncnspape: man having edited country
PAPER Tor years before goins West. He has been sue
cesslu in cattle raising and is wealthy. Talking about
cattle the Colonel said: The winter season In New
Mexico was very fine for business. The number
OF calves exceeds nythhg have known there, and
makes us all happy Ii Will be a good year Tor cattle
growing interests. do not know muSh about tho
cattle trust which Is forming. but II II il 10 bring
about competition at Chicago that the prices OF beef
there not fixed arbitrarily by the purchasing party
as at present will be good thing foi the business
While talking with Colonel ID wyef about features CT
range lie mention made OF the popular belief In
the East that mustangs and horses are ve-y cheap on
the frontier. Said tho Colonel: IL makes me laugh
10 have people here ask me how good horse can be
bought for $40. The fast Is that You cannot g'ta
good horse for less than $40. have horse In use
on my range that worth lcSs than that. IL Is not
generally known that there are several bands OF Wild
hor.es still in New-Meyco The wild stations trouble
us a good deal BY running out our and driving
them to their drovcs Wild horses very fleet and
IL f. difficulty to capture them. Ii IA one OF the
curious things about horses that wild horse captured
and tanned loses ts speed but he escapes aud runs
wild for six or eight months he becomes so Meet that
il il impossible capture him. There is great
range OF fancies in saddles. Some OF the Mexican
saddles have silver pommes and other ornamentations
and arc worth rs high az 500 TO p7o, but good
saddle may be had Tor 40 10 $50
II there ia in the country who deserves the
tito OF Silent Politician it is Senator Arthur L. Cor
man. OF Maryland. lie eau parry an 4" interviewer
with great adroltness aud has way in saying no,
when asked his opinion upon puolic topics that
precludes any further questioning As chairman OF the
Democratic National Executive Committee ho ex-
tod sbreWduess al knowledge
ali the emergencies oi political leadership aud maDp.
ulation The Senator was in New York during the
week and while he would not talk Tor an interview
chatted briefly about some poiats In hationh